Bravehearted
by Shadow Lofton
Summary: In a time when the actions of our foe are as welcomed as the help of a friend, can good survive? OotP spoilers
1. Dissapering act

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Disclaimer: I do not own anything affiliated with Harry Potter universe and its contents. I own the Original Characters and the Situations the plot is mine. This refers to things that are consistent with the Harry Potter universe are merely borrowed for me to spin my own adaptation of book six.

Silent eyes watched the castle that stood majestically just at the foot of a wide valley that led into the mountains that lay beyond. The many battlements and turrets that peeked over the high walls still showed the impregnable nature that had once gone along with a fortress such as this one. A slight shift in wind could be felt and clouds that were once off white melded into a grayish tint the same color as the flagstone that covered the aforementioned castle.

These were the many thoughts that plagued Lord Voldemort as he stood atop a hill glaring down at the castle before him. For a millennia it had stood. For the last two years it had served as constant reminder of one of the many things he could not destroy, of what prevented him from achieving his highest plateau, his zenith; immortality. It also provided a home for the one- no **_two_** that he hated above all else, Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore. He knew that the former wouldn't simply sit back and take death lying down he had already proven that, the same as his parents. No, he would be achieving his rise to power soon, and fast, the same way the mudblood loving fool had done in the era of the great Grindelwald. He had to do everything in his power to stop that happening, already believing he knew the ramifications of what would happen if the boy succeed on his quest to greatness and, he knew that old fool would only help him in doing so.

_'If I let this go on too long I could actually have a challenge in Potter' _he thought savagely.

Not that he would ever openly admit this, he knew that some truths were worth avoiding. Though it seemed odd for this tyrannical figure a confess to fear, one of the things he had learned was if you acknowledge fear you could often change the outcome of a choice; and that just what planned on doing. He wrapped his wrapped his cloak about him, preparing for one of the more difficult for of apparation, he reached out mentally for the person that he seeked. He resided somewhere on a quiet street, in a small suburb outside of London. Turning around and facing his small group of followers he spoke with his naturally calm and commanding tone.

"We move _**now**,_ failure I won't accept, tonight some of you will prove yourselves." Concluding this sentence he glanced a one of the masked Death Eaters that had particularly greasy hair hanging from under his mask

Giving one last fleeting glance at the castle that had once been his home his red snake-like eyes gleamed with a glint that only a Dark Lord could produce as he disappeared with out a sound.

Overhead, a phoenix let out a shrill screech and immediately exploded with a shower of red sparks, a single golden feather floated down settling on the black surface of the lake below…

Albus Dumbledore sat with his fingertips pressed together waiting for Fawkes to return to him. He had also sensed the presence of Voldemort. Even though he was too far away to do any damage to the school itself; his proximity to it had startled him greatly. For a very brief second he wondered whether the wards had failed.

_'Three Dumbledore, he has to be 3 kilometers in range.'_ He chided himself quietly.

With a bright flash of light Fawkes reappeared and alit on the Head masters shoulder. He reached a hand to rest on the ancient bird's head pulling the Voldemorts thought out. It wasn't a very know fact but, one of the special attributes of these creatures was the ability to access a person thoughts when the person in question was in a high emotional state. That was a partial reason why he could keep such close tabs on Harry because of the boy's profound mood swings, though he did wish the didn't trigger Fawkes with feelings of pain and despair he vowed to do something about it shortly.

My own great grandson and he doesn't even know. I need to be the one to help now that Sirius is gone… His thoughts trailed off.

Luckily, Fawkes had managed to locate Tom in a time of anger

Albus exploded into action immediately after he heard all that Voldemort was planning. Mentally preparing himself for the draining task that he was about to attempt, he let all of the magic he possessed swirl around as he prepared to do an incredible task and forcibly summoned the Order Phoenix to his rapidly expanding office.

All across Europe witches & wizards were discreetly disappearing only leaving behind confused witnesses who, soon remembered other things they had to do.

Standing and regarding the ominously silent room with seeping blue eyes, Albus only time to say but one thing to say before pandemonium broke.

"We have a matter to attend."

And then the noise came.


	2. The sound of Thunder

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Disclaimer: I do not own anything affiliated with Harry Potter universe and its contents. I own the Original Characters and the Situations the plot is mine. This referred to that are consistent with the Harry Potter universe are merely borrowed for me to spin my own adaptation of book six.

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Neither can live, while the other survives- Sibyll Trelawny, top floor north tower

The sky was glazed over with an inky darkness and the rising half moon sat in the evening sky.

Expansive gray clouds were suspended in the air. Round and full with the promise of impending rain, they lingered over the intricate city that was London and extended into the small suburb that was Little Whining. Further into Little Whining sat the small roadway that connected Little Whining to the rest

Of the world, Privet Drive.

The homes that aligned this small drive stood shimmering eerily in the moonlight. These stately houses gave off an air of begrudged welcoming and mild prosperity not belying the occupants in the least. The mildly sprawling green lawns and flowering bushes were alight with the spark of light that beamed from the sky.

Up and along the street people scampered about trying to reach the sheltered confines of the places they called home as the ceiling above the Earth began to leak and Mother Nature made good on her dreary and rainy promise.

As the knocker on the door of number four, Privet Drive vibrated and three people that occupied it rushed out to the new Lincoln model that sat parked in the driveway the fourth and final occupant sat in the smallest room breathing heavily. Reaching blindly for the round frame spectacles that rested on the table beside the bed he placed them on and opened his green eyes.

The Dursely's were gone. He was alone in the smallest bedroom Privet Drive with nothing to occupy his mind but the dream. It was only a dream, he understood this completely. But it was the startling clarity in which he remembered the dream that had his mind constantly recalling it. He tried to convince himself over and over that it was only a dream but he just couldn't come to terms with it. Could it have possibly been the future? Or perhaps the past? Either way it had his mind in an utterly befuddled way.

The figure struggled to breathe as the black mist threatened to envelop him. He could see the sky disappearing from view steadily turning from azure blue to crimson, finally fading into a dull, desolate gray. The worsening wind whipped the pitch-black cloak about him. He bowed his head away from the air currents, his hair swirling in his face, his mind preparing him for the inevitable that was about to commence. His head snapped up suddenly as he felt the evil presence approaching him. Not even 10 feet away from him now stood the most feared person in the universe, who coincidentally, was the exact person he was looking for. He met eyes with the hellish figure in front of him, the smoldering blood red eyes bore directly into his own unnatural green ones. The man's skin was so thin from previous augmentations that it stretched across his face tightly giving him a particularly skeletal look.

"So you have decided to come after all," the demonic man spoke with an air of superiority that seemed not to effect raven-haired man "it seems as though you have trained since we last met, let's see."

He raised his hand and as they ran towards each other, skin tore open and the fury was unleashed.

'Could the green eyed man had possibly been me?' Harry thought to myself quietly as I studied my current physique on the hanging mirror just inside the wardrobe.

Even though the man in the dream had a cloak about him, he could tell that he was a muscular person. The person staring out to him from the mirror couldn't possibly be called " as muscular as the guy in the dream" but there certain was a resemblance between him and the unknown man.

Harry appraised himself looking closely in the mirror. His black hair hung loosely at the nape of his neck, having been held back with a rubber band. He rather liked what the length of his hair added to his appearance. Having not had a proper haircut since the days of his pre – Hogwarts childhood it now covered the jagged lighting bolt scar that ran along his forehead and for that he could only be glad. Another startling thing that he noticed was the fact tat he wasn't as lanky and skinny as he had been in previous years. Having only grown about an inch since the beginning of his fifth year the food that he ate had started to make him expand in width rather than in height. Also with the threat of a Dark Lord on his mind, he had begun to try and condition his body for that daunting task that at he knew lay ahead. Starting out by doing push-ups and sits up everyday and a light jog in the evenings he had began to see results of his labor.

Closing the wardrobe back and reclining back into the rickety twin sized he sat upon the comforter and contemplated his summer.

There was really nothing to think about. It was as regular as it should have been. Being followed wherever he went, being owled constantly, being forbade to go anywhere. All in all, his supposed friends allowed him to quietly savor that little slice of hell they had baked up for me.

'I miss you Sirius, I loved you,' miserable thought floated around his head.

His throat constricted slightly as he thought of his late godfather and how he had his life cave in on him, how he had died by the hand of his cousin.

He knew the tears wouldn't come anymore.

"Even the sky couldn't rain forever." I told myself aloud. It was doing a pretty good job at the moment though. 

"One more year, one more year," he told himself quietly.

Having got a partime job in the summer to occupy himself, Harry had begun to save up for a muggle form of transportation. He knew he could easily pay for it out of his families saving but he wanted to contribute at least a little money towards it himself.

Rising up from the bed and walking over towards the window he wrenched it open letting the damp evening breeze waft over him as the raindrops spattered hitting the screen. He peered into the dark street as he saw a figure move towards the house.

Lightning illuminated the surroundings briefly he had a moment to see a tall man skulking up the drive right to the front of number four.

Everything soon went dark.

Breathing quickly and hoarsely Harry strained to hear even the smallest of sounds, not daring to move.

Treading a light path to the door he silently opened it and took a few steps in the hallway, balancing on the balls of his feet muscle taut in ungrounded fear.

Suddenly there was a sound in the living room that caused him to fall over, barely catching himself on the banister. The sound was familiar, he heard it everyday but in the silent house it sounded like a deathly foghorn.

Someone was pounding desperately at the door.

A/N: Bit of o cliffhanger huh. I love reviews immensely and I will welcome anything from critiques to praise to flames, give me some feedback so I can improve this. Don't let me walk blind. Also if anyone posts on FF.net reviews can you tell me how to keep all of the formats the same because I can't keep the italicization after I upload a chapter.


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